"Fine then."
Messmer lowered the hand that had intended to remove the seal on his eye, choosing instead to fight side-by-side with Rellana; they were already well-accustomed to this.
"Grace-Given King, just consider our work in the Land of Shadow unfinished, you Hornsent."
The provocative words caused Morgott's brow to twitch. A mere verbal skirmish was not worth mentioning; the key issue was the sudden surge in pressure from facing two top-tier Demigods simultaneously. Moreover, they had built up a tacit understanding from campaigning together in the Land of Shadow.
In the next moment, twin swords slashed open the Moon's magic.
So fast. The standard Carian Slicer style struck him; even Morgott suffered a wound instantly.
The reason he was hit was that Messmer's spear swept in from his lower blind spot, followed by a flick that unleashed a burst of snake fire, grazing past his neck dangerously. It was soul-stirringly perilous.
Truly dangerous.
Having survived the first round, Morgott hurriedly stepped back to stabilize his stance.
However, Rellana immediately closed the distance with a lunging step. Her pursuing twin swords overlapped, rippling with the colors of ice and fire—magnificent and beautiful. Yet, hidden within was murderous intent; sharp sword qi swept out horizontally, striking the Cursed Sword with a ping and delivering a powerful recoil force.
Why target the weapon specifically?
Just as Morgott failed to parry in time, a spear shot out like a dragon, its tip entwined with a red serpent, sinking into his abdominal cavity with a crack.
Morgott frowned; he had grabbed the spear firmly with his left hand to prevent a through-and-through wound. But it wasn't enough. Messmer slapped the end of the spear, sending a surge of force that flipped Morgott over.
Even disregarding the reach advantage of the spear, Messmer considered his martial arts second only to Frieren's level.
"Cough, cough!"
The Grace-Given King, having stood up again, clutched his chest and coughed violently. Instead of his aura declining, even more magic power rose up; he was evidently prepared for a fight to the death.
In response, the two opponents merged their coercion and even their aura lock into one.
Leaving aside the years they spent exterminating monsters and demons in the Land of Shadow, Rellana and Messmer were already renowned powerhouses during the founding stage of the Golden Order. How could they fear a single Morgott?
It was the perfect opportunity to meet the Grace-Given King who had turned the tide of collapse.
The moment their gazes met, they attacked simultaneously. Golden flames rolled up from the ground like a splash, pouncing toward the two.
However, they bypassed it instantly.
A spear on the left, twin swords on the right—they whistled past, leaving penetrating wounds on Morgott's body. It was his palm; he allowed his hand to be pierced by the spear and then gripped it tightly, while his other hand used the Cursed Sword to parry Rellana's twin swords.
Now was the time to counterattack—he aimed a life-risking strike at this member of the Carian Royal Family.
But a giant red python blocked the middle, forcibly cutting off the golden heavy hammer with a ping.
Blocked!
It was clearly a surprise attack he had prepared for the Demigod; even if she didn't die, she should have suffered injuries affecting her combat capability. Yet, Messmer had intercepted it by acting later but arriving first. How did he do it?
"I told you, I have taken a step further under His Majesty's blessing."
Before his voice fell, he actively moved aside. Behind him, two Chalk Blue Moons were flying forward, hitting their target with the speed of thunder covering one's ears.
Morgott roared and deflected the first one.
The second one could only be forcibly withstood with his body. He exerted all his strength to brace against it, sliding back a full hundred meters and smashing through two buildings before stopping. However, in the next moment, he discovered that the spear and twin swords had jointly batted out a third moon—
There's more?
Suddenly, the Night's Cavalry nearby sacrificed their bodies to block it. Amidst a loud boom, frost exploded, whipping up a blizzard.
"Lord Grace-Given King, retreat and rest first. We will hold them for a moment."
The surviving personal guards supported Morgott as they left. Seeing this, the two wanted to attack, but were separated by the rolling dodge of Yhorm the Giant. A single casual movement from the big guy destroyed an entire street.
A ravine was forcibly cut between the two sides.
Unknowingly, the battle between the two Lords of Cinder had turned white-hot. One giant, one undead; their inextricable fight cut across several streets. Both were covered in cuts and bruises yet remained full of energy.
Messmer and Rellana, who happened to run into them, exchanged a glance and followed up; they had to resolve this eyesore of an enemy as soon as possible.
Their shift in targets caused the turmoil of the Demigod battle to pause slightly.
High in the sky.
Ranni slowly put away the Glintstone arrows on her magic greatbow and murmured, "The personal guards among the Night's Cavalry are indeed formidable; they protected Morgott very well."
"Since we cannot find an opportunity for the time being, let us conserve our strength."
Melina gently wiped the Blade of Calling. The Destined Death lingering upon it caused its sharp edge to surge further to the extent of a longsword, yearning to taste vibrant vitality once again.
"I have a bad premonition. The strongest sorcerer in the Royal Capital's army right now should be Sir Gideon Ofnir, but he hasn't made a move."
The blue-haired girl gazed in the direction of the palace.
"You and His Majesty have dealt with him several times. What is your evaluation?"
"A mysterious conspirator. He has many pawns, is proficient in a vast amount of magic, and is a top-tier powerhouse. I suspect he also understands some Finger Secret Arts; otherwise, his faith in Metyr, Mother of Fingers, cannot be explained."
"We must dispose of him. Furthermore, it will facilitate His Majesty's control over the Roundtable Hold in the future." Ranni took out the Fingerslayer Blade.
When it came to killing power, the secret treasure of the Eternal City was also suitable for a mage like herself to use in close-quarters combat.
Thump, thump!
Conversely, the battlefield of the two top-tier elite units grew louder and louder.
One had to admire the vigorous energy of the Mimic Tear; she had fought the full match from beginning to end and was still fiercely attacking Serosh under the cover of the Spirit Ash Legion. Night Sorceries emerged one after another, accompanied by Incantations like Lightning Spear and Fire, utilizing everything she had learned from Frieren.
Her mechanical advantage was inheriting a portion of her Mother's magical talent—her mana bar was sufficient, and she had already consumed Wondrous Physick to reinforce herself.
Therefore, she gradually gained the upper hand.
The battle-hardened Beast Regent felt the weight of age for the first time; he was actually gradually unable to keep up with this youngster's speed. Was it because she had been kiting him with ranged magic and invisibility...?
Crack!
Just as he was pondering, a Crucible Knight suffered a backstab from the Mimic Tear, pierced by an invisible blade.
She struck and immediately retreated, while the Spirit Ash warriors finished the job.
Ordovis hurriedly led his comrades to block the powerful elite Spirit Ashes, but unexpectedly, what swarmed the backstabbed victim was a group of trash mobs, hacking him to death with chaotic blades right in front of everyone.
However, a Crucible Knight was still a Crucible Knight. Bathed in blood, he swept away the enemies with Aspects of the Crucible: Tail.
"I'm fine, reform the forma—"
But a Night Blade pierced his throat from the back of his neck, followed by a horizontal pull to decapitate him. The corpse, having lost its magic power, was chopped into mincemeat by the Spirit Ash soldiers.
"I was waiting for you to use your Incantation. It was a bit troublesome, after all."
Up to this point, two Crucible Knights had already fallen at the Mimic Tear's feet. The already scarce warriors of the primordial Erdtree had now suffered heavy losses and had to bid eternal farewell to their comrades; this was the cruelty of war.
Swish!
She casually flung off the enemy's fresh blood. Beside her, Taylew the Golem Smith stood guard, already prepared to attack again.
Serosh's eyes were bloodshot, his fur standing on end. He would absolutely not allow any more losses among the Crucible Knights.
Bestial Incantation: Beast Claw.
Ordinary abilities, when driven by the Beast Regent, possessed the power to slice gold and sever jade, cutting through the air as they arrived.
Even though the Mimic Tear dodged in time, her cheek was grazed. She could feel the violent force within it. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Serosh and Ordovis charging simultaneously, their speed extremely fast.
The latter had already transformed into a Crucible form, charging like a centaur.
Even covered by Night Comet, they did not waver. Suppressing her together with a Demigod-level powerhouse, they were unstoppable; even the movements of the Spirit Ashes halted in intimidation.
"Everyone's biggest weakness is the need for command. You shouldn't have fought us alone."
No matter what, they had to severely injure the brain.
Boom!
The sensation was wrong. In the dust, it was impressively Taylew the Golem Smith, clumsy and slow. This one was very conspicuous; it was its first active strike since entering the city. When they charged the city wall back then, they knew the opponent was tough, but they hadn't expected it to be this tough.
The combined strike of the oldest Crucible Knight and the Beast Regent only pushed it back half a step. What on earth are you made of?
Before they could think further, other Spirit Ash warriors had already surrounded and harassed them.
The Mimic Tear avoided their sharp edge, having absolutely no intention of fighting them head-on. She brushed past and charged into the formation of the Crucible Knights, covering the flash of blades and shadows of swords with Night Magic. Blood splattered, and limbs were severed.
She did not seek kill count, but rather forcibly ground down the enemies' condition through continuous attacks.
It was already working.
If it had been a moment earlier, entering the Crucible Knights' formation like this would have been seeking death. But now, their movements had slowed, their strength was insufficient, and their perception was dull.
The Mimic Tear, persisting in harassment tactics, tortured the enemies incessantly.
How did a dignified Lord of Cinder teach such a wretch?
The gnashing Serosh and Ordovis urgently turned back to rescue. This time, aiming at the enemy, they could definitely cause heavy damage.
Regrettably, a Dark Moon descended from the sky. Not only did it stop their offensive, but it also scattered magic-dispelling mana, creating favorable conditions for the Mimic Tear. It came from the God of the Stars high above.
Ranni said coldly, "Look around. You, along with your dynasty, are about to end."
The two had to maintain distance; on a chaotic battlefield, it was very easy to suffer a sneak attack. The offensive against the enemy this round was considered a failure; they could only continue to grind.
Black Blade!
Suddenly, Melina raised a heart-palpitating Incantation high from the Ancient Dragon's back.
Her Gloam-Eyed pupils aimed at Ordovis. At this moment, everyone heard the greeting that sounded like a pronouncement of judgment:
"The oldest Crucible Knight? We have defeated too many trash mobs with so-called 'ancient' titles along the way. Go to the grave of the old era."
Her deliberate loud reminder was not out of the kindness of her heart.
Just as Serosh and the other Crucible Knights prepared to support, the Mimic Tear and Ranni acted simultaneously. One created fog, the other froze the scene; they tacitly coordinated with Melina's killing move.
Blade of Death!
The curved arc of Destined Death swept through Ordovis's body, instantly taking away his vitality.
Normally speaking, he wouldn't fall immediately in his prime state. But this was a battlefield; no one was in perfect condition. Everyone was exhausted and had accumulated hidden injuries, which were detonated when piled up.
With a plop, the figure worthy of being a leader knelt on the ground and slowly dissipated.
Everything happened in a split second.
Serosh roared in anger, his mane seeming to turn blood-red, only to hear the Mimic Tear laughing loudly from the fog.
"Old Lion, as an intelligent beast, can you foresee your own ending?"
In the next moment, sharp claws clashed fiercely with the edge of the Carian Slicer, spraying sparks and splashing blood. Both sides blasted each other with full concentration, dragging their respective elite units into close-quarters combat. The earth cracked, storms swept through, and houses collapsed one after another.
Even the two on Florisaxx's back found it hard to aim. However, being able to successively kill Godefroy and Ordovis was already not bad.
On the other side, the Demigod melee also saw progress.
After a brief respite, Morgott dragged his maimed body to rejoin the fray.
He had to intervene.
If he didn't act soon, Yhorm the Giant would be ganged up on and beaten to death by Rellana, Messmer, and the Abyss Watchers. If this big guy fell, the follow-up Soul Cinder Army would be able to drive straight in.
At this moment, the Grace-Given King's side and the Beast Regent's side were the only two important barriers intercepting the enemy.
Centering around them, the Golden Army gradually formed a defense line in an orderly manner, preventing the enemy from killing their way into the inner ring of the city in one breath. But in terms of high-end combat power, they were stretched to the limit, clearly showing a trend of being suppressed.
If Godefroy were still alive, things would be much better.
Unfortunately, with the Ancient Dragon's help, Melina and Ranni moved at high speed to coordinate attacks. An assassin mastering Destined Death was enough to deter the entire field.
In a sense, she already possessed the dominance that Maliketh had failed to display on the battlefield back then.
"Large-scale ritual reaction!"
Suddenly, Ranni shouted a warning. Immediately after, a large number of Deathroots bulged from the ground.
The place where the black roots struck first was in Morgott's direction, isolating the battlefield. Radiating intense power of Death, everyone except the Abyss Watchers had to retreat, forcibly carving out a separate battlefield.
"It's Sir Gideon Ofnir and the Royal Capital sorcerers casting spells. Everyone, back away! Watch out for bombardment."
At the same time, a huge sinkhole collapsed within the inner ring of the Royal Capital. From it, a gigantic, mermaid-shaped twisted corpse slowly rose, accompanied by a large number of Mausoleum Knights.
They roared at the sky, baring their fangs and brandishing their claws to announce their arrival.
Seeing the Prince of Death caused by her own hands, Ranni had mixed feelings, and also an extra touch of killing intent toward Sir Gideon Ofnir. To actually further modify and control the corpse—you really are something.
"I will clean it up—"
Melina had already found the target. If not for Destined Death, dealing with this kind of special Those Who Live in Death would indeed be a bit troublesome.
Suddenly, a streak of red lightning flew from the corner of her eye. It was too fast; it instantly hit Florisaxx's wing, immediately causing her to fall upside down.
However, the loss of control lasted only an instant. In the next second, the dignified Priestess readjusted her flight posture.
"Ancient Dragons' Lightning Strike with this kind of output is no ordinary fellow."
Lichdragon!
The Ancient Dragon, entirely black and radiating the aura of Death Blight, instantly threw a Lightning Spear. Not to be outdone, Florisaxx countered with thunder. Two streams of energy canceled each other out in the air and scattered the thunderclouds, dropping countless rains of falling current.
She would absolutely not allow an Ancient Dragon's corpse to be blasphemed like this.
Even becoming a statue like Gransax was better than Fortissax being like this. The former could even be considered another form of eternal life, but being neither alive nor dead was the one thing that was unacceptable.
Wait, something is wrong.
"There is the aura of a massive amount of Ancient Dragon Cult Incantations. Get ready, all of you."
Florisaxx's warning was fast enough, but the numerous Dragon Knights of the Royal Capital's army moved even faster; they had calculated this long ago. Taking advantage of the aftershocks from the clash of Dragon Lightning in the air, they gathered all the lightning, synergizing and resonating it into a gigantic Lightning Spear. Heaven and earth fell silent, waiting only for the heavy blow to smash down.
The Incantation of golden lightning flew forth, displaying speed to the extreme. Under the gaze of the multitude, it boomed and hit the highest-value target.
No.
The Golden Spear did not explode but was caught. A silver-haired figure was seen rising amidst the mighty thunderbolt force.
Lightning Retaliation—target pointing straight at the palace.
____
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